<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Most Powerful Thing by howtosingit</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28868745">The Most Powerful Thing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/howtosingit/pseuds/howtosingit'>howtosingit</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>An Officer and A Gentleman: Carlos Reyes Week 2021 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boys In Love, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:26:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28868745</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/howtosingit/pseuds/howtosingit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A story about how Carlos Reyes learns to love, and the man that he finds to love him back.</p><p>*</p><p>Written for Carlos Reyes Week - Day 2: “I’ll always be here for you” + romance</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos Reyes/TK Strand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>An Officer and A Gentleman: Carlos Reyes Week 2021 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2124069</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>159</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Carlos Reyes Week 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Most Powerful Thing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️</p><p> </p><p>Carlos Reyes is seven years old when he first decides that he wants to fall in love.</p><p> </p><p>He’s standing next to his mother in the kitchen, one hand wrapped around a large mixing bowl while he uses all of the strength in his tiny little body to stir the batter for the cake they’re making together. Every so often, his mom adds an ingredient - vanilla, an egg, or more flour - and it’s his job to ensure that it disappears into the mixture, never to be seen again. </p><p> </p><p>He feels just like a wizard, creating a magical potion.</p><p> </p><p>He’s been stirring for forever when his mother suddenly stops adding more stuff to the bowl. Carlos, his arms growing tired from all the work, looks up to find her staring out the window facing the backyard, a cup of milk in her hand, and a big smile on her face.</p><p> </p><p>“Mami?” he asks, watching as she blinks really quickly before looking down at him. Carlos laughs, the sound high and bright as it soars around the room. </p><p> </p><p>“You looked like you were frozen in ice, mami!”</p><p> </p><p>His mother shakes her head, reaching over to pour the milk into the bowl. He looks down, letting out a sigh at the idea of having to do even more stirring. His mother laughs again, taking the spoon out of his hand. He watches her for a moment, close enough to see her glance out the window a few more times. He tries to look out the window, too, but his legs are too short to see.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s happening outside, mami?” he asks. </p><p> </p><p>“Nothing, mijo,” she tells him, her smile reappearing. “Just your papa telling me how much he loves me.”</p><p> </p><p>Carlos doesn’t know what she’s talking about; he didn’t hear his dad say anything through the window. He runs over to the back door, pulling it open to see his dad moving around the backyard, hanging strands of lights for his sister’s birthday party later that evening. </p><p> </p><p>“How can you hear what he’s saying, mami?” he asks, giving her a confused look. “He’s so far away.”</p><p> </p><p>“Come here, mijo,” she says, dropping the spoon in the bowl. When he’s back at her side, she reaches down to grab his waist, lifting him so that he can sit on the counter next to her.</p><p> </p><p>He’ll never forget the next words that she says to him.</p><p> </p><p>His mother explains how, every time they have family over, they string up lights in the backyard, and that, every time, she has to remind his dad to do it before it gets too late. </p><p> </p><p>“But, mijo, I didn’t tell him to put up the lights this time,” she explains, giving him a smile. “Do you know what that means?” He shakes his head. “It means that he listened to me.”</p><p> </p><p>Carlos tilts his head, his lips pursed in confusion. “And that’s the same as papa telling you that he loves you?” he finally asks, not understanding how that can be true.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a really big part of it,” his mother agrees, running her fingers through his curls. “When you love someone with your whole heart, it means that you know them really well because you’ve spent so much time paying attention to them, and listened to what they have to say. It means that you try to figure out what they want and need, and give it to them, sometimes before they even ask for it. That makes them very happy, and it makes them feel special.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, papa putting up lights makes you feel special?” Carlos asks.</p><p> </p><p>“It does, yes,” his mother says, turning back to the bowl. “Seeing him out there putting up those lights feels just like getting a hug from him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Papa hugs you all the time, mami!” Carlos reminds her. “His hugs are the best.”</p><p> </p><p>“They are, mijo,” she answers.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I didn’t know you could say I love you like that,” Carlos says, staring down at his fingers as his brain takes in this new information. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, nene,” his mother exclaims, moving to stand right in front of him, “you can tell someone you love them in a million different ways.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” he cries, his eyes wide. “<em> A million</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>“Si, so many different ways, cariño,” she nods. “You can say the words, of course. Everyone likes to hear the words ‘I love you’ every now and then. But,” she continues, leaning in close like she’s sharing a secret, “when you’re really in love, when it fills your whole entire heart, sometimes those three words aren’t enough. So, you have to find other ways to say it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wow,” he breathes.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you know that helping me bake your sister’s birthday cake is a way to say ‘I love you’?” she asks, laughing as Carlos shakes his head from side to side. “It is! It tells your sister that you love her, and that you want to do something nice for her, to make her happy.”</p><p> </p><p>“I really just like helping you in the kitchen, mami,” Carlos whispers, not wanting anyone to be confused. “You let me lick the spoon sometimes.”</p><p> </p><p>At that, his mom laughs really hard, her eyes shining. “And that tells me how much you love me, mijo, <em> and </em> how much I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>His mother continues, explaining what feels like a hundred different ways to show and tell someone that you love them - everything from hugs and kisses to bringing them a coffee at work and tucking them into bed.</p><p> </p><p>“The way you and papa tuck me into bed?”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly like that, mijo.”</p><p> </p><p>“But,” Carlos says, confused once more, “you also tell me that you love me when you do that.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s right, we do,” his mother says, pouring the finished batter into a cake pan. “That means you get double the love.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, wow!” Carlos cries, his eyes wide. “That’s a lot!”</p><p> </p><p>“It is, and it’s not,” his mother says, turning to give him a serious look. “Mijo, there is no limit to the love you are able to give another person. Your heart will always find more, and you’ll find lots of different ways to share it when you grow up.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wow,” he says again, like it’s his favorite word of the day. “Love sounds really awesome!”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s the most powerful thing in the world, nene,” his mom adds, leaning in to kiss his cheek, making him laugh. </p><p> </p><p>Later that night, Carlos thinks a lot about what his mom told him. He thinks about it when he watches everyone sing “Happy Birthday” to his sister, seeing the way her face breaks into a gigantic smile. He thinks about it as he watches his mom and dad dance under the twinkling lights in their backyard, his family singing and dancing all around them. He thinks about it when he sees his dad press a kiss to his mom’s cheek, his arms wrapped around her as he leans close to whisper a secret in her ear. He watches the way her whole face lights up, like she’s just swallowed a whole entire lightbulb.</p><p> </p><p>And that’s when Carlos decides that he wants to fall in love, so that he can be powerful, just like his mom and dad.</p><p> </p><p>❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️</p><p> </p><p>When Carlos turns fourteen, he begins to hide parts of himself from everyone that he knows. For a time, he even tries to hide them from himself, but at a certain point, that becomes impossible.</p><p> </p><p>It takes him time to come to terms with the way his heart starts beating really fast every time David Taylor makes eye contact with him in sixth period algebra - his beautiful blue eyes sending sparks through Carlos’s entire body. He falls asleep thinking about those same eyes and David’s curly blonde hair, waking to find his sheets twisted and clinging to his sweaty skin. </p><p> </p><p>He can’t ignore it for too long after that.</p><p> </p><p>Carlos shares his first kiss with Leo García, a boy who lives the next street over. He’s fifteen and scared out of his mind, but Leo is two years older, and tells him that he’s done this before, so Carlos has nothing to worry about. He pushes Carlos up against the fence in an alley a short walk from their houses, and before he can wrap his head around it, Carlos finds himself with a tongue in his mouth that isn’t his own.</p><p> </p><p>It’s sloppy, and a little forceful, but it also feels solidifying, like he’s been waiting for this kiss his entire life. It makes him feel like he finally understands a part of himself that has been dangling just out of reach. He adjusts quickly, trying to kiss back, to learn from Leo. When they separate for a breath, Leo’s lips move to Carlos’s neck, and he swears he sees fireworks in the late-afternoon sky. </p><p> </p><p>After, when Carlos is zipping up his jeans while standing on shaky legs, he considers taking hold of Leo’s hand and asking him to see a movie or get some food. Before he can say a word, though, Leo steps back, looking around. He throws out a “don’t tell anyone about this, okay?” before he leaves Carlos standing there, alone, feeling like he’s been stabbed in a billion different places.</p><p> </p><p>Ten minutes later, he’s walking through the back door to his house, trying to stay as quiet as possible as he chokes back sobs. Maybe, if he can make it to his room, no one will have to know.</p><p> </p><p>“Carlos Reyes, stop right there,” his mother calls from the other end of the room. He had completely missed her when he blurrily scanned the kitchen. She gives him a look, her face falling, and it shatters him.</p><p> </p><p>In no time at all, he’s wrapped up in her arms. It doesn’t matter that he’s fifteen and already much taller than her, she still makes him feel like he’s seven years old. He folds himself over her body, his cries echoing loudly throughout the room.</p><p> </p><p>“Mijo,” she begins softly almost twenty minutes later, finally able to guide him down into a chair. She sits right next to him, taking his hand in one of her own and wiping away his tears with the other. “Please tell me what’s going on, nene.”</p><p> </p><p>He stares at her, his heart threatening to pound right out of his chest. He can’t lie to her. She means too much to him, and he’s never been one to deceive her. He can’t start now.</p><p> </p><p>He takes a breath, his stomach rolling.</p><p> </p><p>“Mami, I’m gay.”</p><p> </p><p>The words sit in the air, hanging heavy in the silence. Carlos feels new tears forming, letting them fall. He can feel himself losing control of his breathing, his chest rising and falling much faster than it should be. </p><p> </p><p>There are hands on either side of his face, pulling his gaze back to his mother. She takes one look at him before letting out a soft cry of her own. Then, she’s up out of her seat, her arms wrapped around him, his face pressed against her chest. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, nene,” she says, her lips pressed against his curls. “Please don’t cry, cariño. There should be no sadness now, not about this. Never about this.”</p><p> </p><p>Her words just make him cry harder, his brain spinning as he tries to grasp the conversation and suck in air at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>This time, it takes him even longer to quiet down.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, mijo, how long have you known?” his mother asks, still standing above him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“For a long time,” he says tiredly, his voice thick.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, mi amor,” she sighs, coming around to his side. “When you find the man you’re meant to be with, you are going to love him so fiercely,” she says, stroking his cheek. He gasps, the certainty and understanding in her voice shocking him. “But, you’ll only be able to find him if you let that big, beautiful heart of yours shine brightly. Keep it wide open for the world to see. Hiding it away will just make it harder to find, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>She leans forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead. </p><p> </p><p>“Love,” she finishes, staring him directly in the eyes, “is the most powerful thing in the world, remember? Let it make you strong, nene.”</p><p> </p><p>And that’s when Carlos decides that he’ll never hide his love away again.</p><p> </p><p>❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️</p><p> </p><p>Carlos leans back against the door, letting out a tired sigh. His muscles ache, and his head aches, and a part of him feels like maybe even his soul aches. His eyes slip closed before they are able to adjust to the dim lighting of his apartment, but they fly open again at the sudden sound of a soft snore from somewhere to his left. </p><p> </p><p>He’s not at all surprised to find his boyfriend asleep on his couch. In the two months since they’ve started dating, TK has made it a habit of coming over after his shifts, either to join Carlos for dinner and some downtime, or to wait for Carlos to get home. He loves opening the door to find TK in his apartment, oftentimes with music blaring as his boyfriend dances around the kitchen, struggling to create something semi-edible for the two of them. Carlos is always happy to step in and help, kissing away TK’s pout while reminding him that it’s the thought that truly counts.</p><p> </p><p>He glances down at his watch, seeing that it’s after one in the morning, and he can’t stop the guilt that crawls through him. He knows that TK got off at ten tonight, which means he’s probably been here ever since, waiting for Carlos to walk through the door. They get so little time together as it is, with their crazy schedules and long shifts that refuse to line up; he hates that he missed out on those few precious hours tonight. </p><p> </p><p>Pushing away from the door, he moves over to the couch, taking a seat on the edge. He stares down at TK, smiling at the peaceful expression that he’s wearing in his sleep. He knows, from their many nights together, that a good night’s rest is hard to come by for his boyfriend; it makes him happy to know that TK feels comfortable enough here in his apartment to sleep well. </p><p> </p><p>Normally, Carlos would wake his boyfriend up and walk him to bed, but he decides that TK looks comfortable where he is, and he doesn’t want to disturb him. With a quiet grunt, he reaches over to grab the large blanket from the armchair, shaking it out to place over TK. He runs his hand gently up and down his boyfriend’s side before tucking him in as best he can.</p><p> </p><p>When he’s done, Carlos leans over, pressing a soft kiss to his boyfriend’s hairline. He feels movement underneath him, and he pulls back to find TK’s eyes open and fixed on him.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Carlos whispers, bringing his hand up to stroke along TK’s jaw. “You looked comfortable, so I was just going to leave you here.”</p><p> </p><p>TK smiles softly, shaking his head. “No, that’s okay, babe.” He yawns. “Besides, I like the bed better. It’s big enough for two.”</p><p> </p><p>Carlos laughs, leaning down to press a kiss to TK’s lips. It’s a soft kiss, leading nowhere, but Carlos loves it all the same. </p><p> </p><p>TK shifts his head as Carlos pulls away, looking up at him with both eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my god, Carlos!” he cries, sitting up so fast that they nearly butt heads. Luckily, Carlos pulls back just in time, wincing as he stares into TK’s wide eyes. “What happened to you?”</p><p> </p><p>Before he can answer, TK reaches forward, his fingers running over the bandage placed above his right eyebrow. His boyfriend lets out a whine as he turns Carlos’s face, taking in the other scratches along the side of his face. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine, TK,” he says, reaching out to rest his hands on his boyfriend’s sides, hoping to soothe him. “They’re just a few cuts, they’ve all been treated, they’re gonna heal up in no time.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did someone hit you?” TK cries, his voice nearly hysterical. </p><p> </p><p>“Only a few punches,” Carlos jokes, his voice light as he tries to fake a smile. “Unfortunately, he was wearing a ring, so a few punches was all he needed.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my god,” TK cries again, both of his hands coming up to cup Carlos’s face. “Babe, your face…”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s just a few cuts and bruises, TK,” Carlos assures him, tightening his hold on him. He can feel TK shaking a little. “I’ll be healed up in just a few days.”</p><p> </p><p>“Bruises?” TK asks, his voice sharp. “Where? Show me.”</p><p> </p><p>“TK, I really am-”</p><p> </p><p>“Carlos, if you say you’re fine one more time, I will lose my damn mind.”</p><p> </p><p>Carlos freezes at the tone of his boyfriend’s voice. </p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” TK says when Carlos doesn’t move. He shifts suddenly, Carlos’s arms falling as TK rises from the couch. TK reaches for him. “Come on.”</p><p> </p><p>Carlos doesn’t have it in him to argue, so he takes TK’s hand, allowing his boyfriend to pull him up and through the apartment to the bathroom. TK guides him to sit on the toilet, standing in front of him.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I?” TK asks, reaching for the top button of Carlos’s uniform shirt. With a sigh, Carlos nods, knowing that TK won’t rest again until his boyfriend has made sure that he’s fine.</p><p> </p><p>TK undresses him slowly, trying to be as careful as possible. He lets out a small gasp when the bruises along Carlos’s right side are revealed under the harsh bathroom lighting. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, babe,” TK winces, tossing the white undershirt aside as he runs his fingertips along Carlos’s ribcage. </p><p> </p><p>He remains still, letting TK check the injury, his breath frozen in his lungs. After a moment, his boyfriend looks up at him from where he’s kneeling on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“How about a bath?” he asks, placing his hands on Carlos’s hips and squeezing gently.</p><p> </p><p>Carlos lets out a breath, his body relaxing at the thought of soaking in warm water for a little while. “Yes, please,” he nearly begs, opening one eye when TK chuckles.</p><p> </p><p>“Stay put, I’ll get it ready for you,” he says, leaning forward to press a kiss to each and every one of the small bruises dotting Carlos’s torso.</p><p> </p><p>He does as he’s told, watching as TK moves around the bathroom, getting everything ready. His heart swells in his chest at the sight, his boyfriend gathering supplies with a level of familiarity that feels truly domestic. TK finishes by bending down again to untie and remove his work boots.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, you’re all set,” TK says, taking a step towards the door. Carlos reaches for him before he can go any further, linking their fingers together.</p><p> </p><p>“Would you want to stay?” he asks, his voice small. “I like having you close.”</p><p> </p><p>TK stares down at him for a moment, his eyes soft as he smiles. Then, he leans forward, pressing a kiss to Carlos’s lips. “Of course.”</p><p> </p><p>Carlos stands and TK reaches for his belt, continuing to help him undress. When he’s fully naked, Carlos stands before him. It’s odd, in a very not-at-all-odd way, to stand before a fully-dressed TK wearing no clothes. There’s nothing sexual about the situation, and yet he feels comfortable. Vulnerable, but safe. Protected.</p><p> </p><p>TK guides him towards the tub, offering his arm for support when Carlos lowers himself into the oil-infused water. Then, his boyfriend sits down on the floor right next to the bathtub, folding his arms over the edge and resting his chin on top.</p><p> </p><p>“Tell me about your day?” Carlos asks, letting his body relax until only his head is above water. </p><p> </p><p>He’s in the bath for some time, the two of them talking about their days. At some point, TK moves to dip his hand in the water before bringing it up to run through Carlos’s hair. It’s something that has always relaxed him, ever since he was a child, though he’s never told TK that.</p><p> </p><p>When he’s finished, they move to the bedroom, TK forcing him to lay face down on the bed before walking away. He returns a few moments later, climbing up to straddle Carlos’s hips. He hears the click of a bottle right before TK’s hands are on him, rubbing lotion along his back and sides.</p><p> </p><p>The unexpected action leaves him speechless.</p><p> </p><p>His mind flies back to a conversation that he had with his mother when he was seven, the two of them standing in the kitchen baking a cake. </p><p> </p><p><em> “It means that you try to figure out what they want and need, and give it to them, sometimes before they even ask for it, </em>” she had said.</p><p> </p><p>He thinks back to every relationship that he’s ever had, from his early college days to the academy. They were all short-lived, mostly physical, though not for lack of trying on his part. Carlos was always willing to put in the effort - make dinner, plan dates - but it was never mutual. No one ever seemed to want to care for him the way that he wanted to care for them.</p><p> </p><p>He remembers those early days of knowing TK. Of meeting him, feeling that strange spark and wanting to chase it until it roared to life as a fire. He remembers moving too fast, making too much of an effort too soon, and nearly blowing it. But, he also remembers the moment that he realized that TK wasn’t like all of the other men he had been with before; that moment when he knew that TK’s hesitation wasn’t because of disinterest in something deeper, but rather a fear of it. </p><p> </p><p>He remembers how they eventually found their way, just two months ago. And he remembers every moment since then, how happy the other man has made him.</p><p> </p><p>How special TK makes him feel.</p><p> </p><p>He thinks about how, when he first walked through the door tonight, he had been planning to head straight to bed, without a second thought to his injuries. He thinks about how TK worried for him and took care of him; how he ran his bath, sat on the hard tile floor with him to keep him company, listened to him, washed his hair for him, kissed the cuts on his face.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t ask him for any of that, and yet, it was exactly what he needed. </p><p> </p><p>TK hadn’t even hesitated.</p><p> </p><p>Carlos feels his hands on him now, the gentle way that TK touches him, how he makes him feel so good and happy and peaceful.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you for being here, TK,” he says, his face pressed against the mattress beneath him.</p><p> </p><p>TK pauses, and Carlos waits. Then, his boyfriend leans down, his lips right next to Carlos’s ear. </p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” he says, pressing another kiss over the bandage over his eyebrow. “I’ll always be here for you.”</p><p> </p><p>Carlos sucks in a small breath at the declaration. He hears his mother’s voice again.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “When you’re really in love, when it fills your whole entire heart, sometimes those three words aren’t enough. So, you have to find other ways to say it.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>His heart hammers in his chest, feeling the way that TK’s words wrap around his heart, a barrier from anything that may threaten to break it.</p><p> </p><p>“Come here,” he mutters, lifting an arm to pat the mattress next to him.</p><p> </p><p>He keeps his gaze where it is, watching as TK comes into view, laying down to rest his head next to him. Carlos lifts a hand to his face, running his fingers down his boyfriend’s sharp, stubbly jaw. </p><p> </p><p>He hears his mother’s voice one more time. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Love is the most powerful thing in the world, remember? Let it make you strong, nene.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He stares into the big, beautiful green eyes of the man in front of him, and finds his strength to finally say exactly what he’s feeling.</p><p> </p><p>“I love you, Ty.”</p><p> </p><p>TK visibly shutters in front of him, a shiver running through him as his mouth falls open, his eyes wide. Carlos watches as they slowly fill with tears. His heart clenches, terrified that he’s said it too soon, that he’s scared TK away one last time. </p><p> </p><p>But, before he can speak again, his boyfriend is leaning forward, the tips of their noses touching.</p><p> </p><p>“I love you too, Carlos,” he says, his voice solid with a strength that Carlos knows only comes from one thing.</p><p><br/>
And that’s when Carlos decides that he’s found the one person that he’s meant to be with for the rest of his life, the one who makes him feel like the most powerful man in the world.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://howtosingit.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>